Valentine's Day stunt used heart-shaped estate agent signs

Signs from Bridges Estate Agents have been used to create special Valentine's Day message

Bridges Estate Agent signs used to create an elaborate Valentine's Day gesture in Aldershot

The identity of the person who created a Valentine's Day public display of affection for his sweetheart in Aldershot has been revealed.

A message displaying those three little words was spotted made from heart-shaped Bridges estate agent boards in bushes outside a house in Royale Close at around 8am on Friday morning.

Later that afternoon, James Howells came forward as the man to have created the message for girlfriend Christina Bellamy.

The 33-year-old bricklayer, who lives in nearby Church Road, said he spent days secretly painting the signs that he 'found'. He told his loved one that he was going to the shops late at night in order to set up the signs for her to find the next morning.

"It took a lot longer than I thought," he said. "I thought it would take one coat of paint but it took about five, and three cans of spray paint.

"As soon as I saw the signs were heart-shaped I was waiting for Valentine's Day to do it."

Despite the couple having agreed 'not to do presents this year', Mr Howells also arranged rose petals along the windscreen blower inside his lover's car so that she was showered in them when she turned on the engine.

Bridges' group managing director Carlo Stocchetti discovered the signs as he was visiting his parents' house.

Emma Davies, PA at Bridges in Aldershot, said: "He was kind of surprised when he saw them. God knows how they got the boards back home.

"We think it's really sweet that someone has gone to so much effort."

Bridges offered a bottle of bubbly as a reward to the person identified as the creator of the message and this will be presented to Mr Howells on Monday afternoon.

She has been editorial director of the online and print titles in Surrey and north-east Hampshire since 2007. Marnie previously worked at the BBC as a producer for 5 Live, having moved to national radio from BBC Sussex and Surrey.